If you’re new to data visualization, the idea of sourcing data and designing a great chart or infographic can be daunting. This is why we’ve selected a few fantastic resources that offer instruction, guidance, and inspiration. We hope you find this list useful!
Data Sources
Helpful Read: 15 Great Free Data Sources for 2016
1) Statista — Statista is an online statistics portal. It provides access to data from market and opinion research institutions, as well as from business organizations and government institutions
2) Google Trends — See the latest trends, data, and visualizations from Google. Explore trending searches near you, featured insights, and popular stories.
3) Our World in Data — Our World in Data is an online publication that shows how living conditions around the world are changing. It shares this information through interactive data visualizations and research data. Click here to learn more.
4) Pew Research Center — Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues shaping our world. They conduct public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis, and other data-driven research.
5) Wikipedia ‘List of Lists’ — This is a dynamic collection of articles that are lists of list articles on Wikipedia. This is a resource you need to see to believe.
Visualization Resources
Helpful Read: How to Design an Infographic with Purpose in 10 Easy Steps
6) Data Visualisation Catalogue — The Data Visualisation Catalogue is an on-going project developed by Severino Ribecca. It is a great reference for information on different chart types and methodology.
7) Data Journalism Handbook — The Data Journalism Handbook offers detailed information for journalists who want to use data to enhance their work and tell better news stories.
8) Infogram — Infogram offers a wide variety of helpful data visualization resources. Here are a few examples:
- Data Visualization Workshop — Choosing the Right Chart for Your Data
- Blog Posts — 12 Best Data Visualization Blogs of 2016
- eBooks — The Ultimate Data Visualization Guide: Chart Do’s and Don’ts
- Tutorials — All You Need to Know About Work with Infogram
9) Visualoop — Visualoop is a digital environment dedicated to all things data visualization. They have an incredible selection of infographics for you to enjoy.
10) Visualising Data — Andy Kirk’s Visualising Data is an award-winning site providing readers with a rich variety of content that charts the development of the data visualization field. Check out their in-depth resources page.
Infographic Inspiration
Helpful Read: Discover, Pin and Share Amazing Infographics on Pinterest
11) Visual Complexity — Visual Complexity is a resource space for anyone interested in the visualization of complex networks. Their goal is to leverage a critical understanding of different visualization methods, across a series of disciplines. The result is beautiful.
12) Flowing Data — Flowing Data explores how statisticians, designers, data scientists, and others use analysis, visualization, and exploration to understand data.
13) Cool Infographics — Randy Krum is the author of the Cool Infographics blog that highlights some of the best examples of data visualizations and infographics found in magazines, newspapers and on the Internet.
14) Information is Beautiful — David McCandless and his team are dedicated to distilling the world’s data, information and knowledge into beautiful, interesting and, above all, useful visualizations, infographics, and diagrams.
15) Pinterest — Pinterest can’t get enough infographics. The community is constantly pinning and saving fun, informative data visualizations. Simply search ‘infographics’ and click around.
Charting Tools
Helpful Read: Color Theory Do’s and Don’ts for Data Visualization
16) Infogram — Create awesome data visualizations with Infogram. Our charts and infographics are simple to make and easy on the eye. Start sharing data in an engaging and memorable way.
17) Adobe Color CC — Color can grab people’s attention, set the mood, and influence perception. This is why it’s so important to pick the right color scheme for your visualization. Adobe’s color tool helps you do just that.
18) Help Me Viz — This data visualization site encourages discussion, debate, and collaboration from the data visualization community. You can even upload your data visualization and get feedback from designers.
Now that you know where to find data, how to pick the right chart, and where to go to design your visualization — it’s time to get started! Infogram has 35+ chart types and 200+ regional maps for you to choose from.
